THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. lOI 



3. couple into the pack at a time* : the others are walked 

 out amongst the deer when the men exercise their horses, 

 and are severely chastised if they take any notice of 

 them : they also draw covers with them ; seieding those 

 ivhere they can best see their hounds, and most easily 

 command them, and where there is the least chance to 

 iind a fox. On these occasions, I had rather they should 

 have to rate their hounds than encourage them. It re- 

 quires less judgment, and, if improperly done, is Jess dan- 

 gerous in its consequences. One halloo of encouragement 

 to a wrong scent, more than undoes all that you have been 

 (doing. 



When young hounds begin to love a scent, it may be 

 of use to turn out a badger before them: you will then 

 be able to discover what improvement they have made. 

 1 mention a badger, on a supposition that young foxes 

 cannot so well be spared; besides, the badger, being a 



* I sometimes send all my young hounds together into the forest, with 

 four or five couple of old hounds only ; such as I know they cannot spoil. 

 As often as any of them break off to deer, they are taken up and flogged. 

 When they lose one fox they try for another, and are kept out till they 

 are all made tolerably steady. 



P 2 



